Dancing in Quicksand
by X x biLLie x X
Summary: HIATUS! PostAts and BtVS. Lots of Slash, if you're into it. Angel x Spike, Xander x Andrew, Buffy x Faith, Dawn x FemOC
1. Syn and Dawn

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Angel: the Series_. I **_do_** own who you don't recognize.  
**A/N:** There's an exceptionally large count of slashy and femslashy pairs; Angel is Spike's sire.

* * *

**Chapter One: Syn and Dawn  
**_Los Angeles, California:_

There was rain. Not as heavy as it had started, because it had all but ground to a screeching halt. The floodgates of heaven were quickly being slammed and things were dying all over the place. When a sharp clatter ended the cacophany of screeches, howls, and roars, the alley was silent.

There were only three people standing. A petit woman in crimson body armor, and two men, convered from head to toe in blood, some of it theirs, but most of it not. The first man, taller and broader than the other, was leaning against the wall, eyes closed and panting softly, though he lacked the necessity to breathe.

The smaller, bleach blond male was using the taller man as a steadying post, with his head leant on his shoulder.

"We should clean this. The humans will see someth-" the blue-haired femme stopped mid-sentence as, with an impressive _whoosh_-ing noise, the carcasses of their foes disentegrated. There was only one body left. That of one Charles Gunn. Ilyria picked him up and strode to her comrades. "Should we... inform his family?" she asked, looking to the dark male.

"He doesn't have any family," Angel said, slowly running his hand over the back of his childe's neck, calming Spike's nerves as well as his own. "They died shortly after he went into freelance work. Vampires." Ilyria nodded and sat on an upturned box, cradling Gunn's body to her chest.

"What happ'ns now?" a slurred voice asked. Angel looked down at Spike and gave him a small smile.

"We call old friends."

* * *

_Italy:_

"Xander! Can you answer the phone?" a voice called from the kitchen. The dark-haired man on the couch got up and picked up the white phone.

"Hullo?" he said into the receiver.

_"Hi, is Andrew around?"_ a male's voice asked from the other line. Xander yawned.

"Yeah, hold on." He went into the kitchen and handed the phone to the smaller blond man. Andrew turned and gave him a quizzical look, mouthing, 'who is it?' Xander shrugged and leaned against the counter, listening in on the conversation he could hear. His magical blue eye glittered in the penthouse apartment's kitchen lights.

"Hello, this is Andrew speaking," the blond said. "Oh, hi! Are you looking for Buffy again? 'Cause I told you that she-- no, she's in Cleveland. No, we're moving there in a few week-- Xander. Hmm? Oh, uhm..." Andrew blushed bright red.

"Who is it?" Xander asked, but Andrew shushed him.

"Yeah, I am- well, _we_ are. Obviously. Oh, them? I was taking escorting them to their boyf-- holy Chewbacca! Gutterminded vampire! Oh, yeah okay. It's 555-3971. No problem. See you in a few weeks, then. Ciao, Gandalf! Uh yes, sir. Bye!" Xander raised an eyebrow at the blond as he hung up.

"Who was that?" he asked. Andrew smiled secretively.

"You'll see soon enough," he said. He kissed Xander sweetly and made to step back, but Xander snaked an arm around his waist, holding him there. They kissed passionately before there was a knock on their door and the need for oxygen broke them apart. Xander smiled down at his boyfriend.

"You gonna get that in your oven mits, or should I, Martha Stewart?" he joked. He was awarded with a light smack to the arm and Andrew pouting. Xander kissed his lip, then went to the door. Swinging it open, he was met with a harrassed-looking Dawn and a girl that looked to be fifteen. "Hey, Dawnie. Come on in, girls."

"Hi, Xander. We were attacked, Hzarlas demons, I think. Tall, purpley-black skin, humanlike with white, glowy eyes and silver hair?" Dawn said in one breath as they entered.

"Wait, aren't those the ones that Willow banished from this realm?" Andrew asked as he came out, oven mits gone and quizzical look in place. Dawn nodded.

"Oh, this is Syndie Orielle. She's a slayer," the young woman said, panting heavily. Syndie had a scratch across her left cheek that was oozing green and turning a slight purple. Andrew ran to get the demon-inflicted first-aid kit and cleaned the cut. It turned from purple to only slightly irritated-looking and the green ooze slowly turned to coagulated blood.

"Yeah, thanks. Uh, you can jus' call me Syn," the girl said. She had shoulderlength, curly, dark dirty-blond hair, chiseled features and a scar on her left eyebrow. Her deep blue eyes glittered excitedly and her lightly-tanned skin had goosebumps. "So, yeah. Wha's goin' on 'ere? Wif the big, drow-lookin' beasties?" Andrew got an excited look on his face and opened his mouth to spiel about drows, but thought better of it with one look from Dawn.

"She's british," Xander noted. Syn gave him a funny look.

"Brilliant, firs' drow-beasties, now a tone-eyed zombie. I'm in heaven!" she announced quite sarcastically. Dawn gave her a sympathetic but annoyed look and turned to Xander.

"She's just been through a lot. She knows her fighting, though. Took down four before she even got swiped," she said.

"What kind of fighting do you know, Syn?" Xander asked her. She reminded him of a very dead vampire. He scrutinized her thoroughly and knew that if she were maybe his age and a male, she would look exactly like crazy, non-bleached Spike.

"Lil' bit of ev'rthin'. Like tai chi with kendo mixed can bring down a six-foot beastie; gymnastics and cricket can knock out jus' about anything... his height," she said, jerking her chin at Andrew, "and Karate and tae bo can basically knock out anything tha's not made of steel. Plus, Hulk strength makes ev'rthin' helluva lot easier."

Xander chuckled. Syndie Orielle was exactly like Spike, but he wouldn't say anything around Dawn. She got teary and rigid any time anyone brought him up, even though it had been three and a half years since anyone had seen him. Andrew had come back saying that he was alive and with Angel, but everyone thought he was just going on false hope. Someone _like_ Spike, but not him.

"So, I'm a bit knackered, wha's for eats?" Syn queried, standing up. Xander actually chuckled out loud. She had on beat up Doc Martens, tight black jeans and a black, shin-length duster, along with a black shirt with a red, one-winged grasshopper on it. Dawn looked away, her eyes lighter than before. Andrew leapt up from the arm of Xander's chair and lead her to the kitchen.

"We have canolies, Cheese-Its, Doritos, chips and salsa..." he rummaged through the cupboards, finding snacks.

"D'you have any biscuits?" Syn questioned, looking over his shoulder. She was easily three inches taller than his five-four stature, and held her self in a confident, near-cocky posture. Andrew turned and quirked an eyebrow.

"Bisc- oh! Cookies, yes... hold on, I just made them," he said, putting his oven mits on and reaching into the state-of-the-art cooking range. He grabbed a stainless steel spatula and flipped the cookies from the tray to a plate. "Chocolate chip. Careful, they're hot. So, uhh... do you know any of your ancestors?" he asked, also noting that Syndie looked exactly like a young female Spike.

"Oh, I know a few. These are really good," she said, biting into a cookie. "I know that I have this really great-great-great, -give or take eight or nine- uncle or summat. Name being... wait... William Connelly. Yeah, William the Bloody, for his 'bloody awful poetry', I think it was. Yeah, well he was a poet and stuff and then, when he was twen'y-four, he died."

Syndie hopped onto the counter, crossing her feet at the ankle. "Yeah, and I know his wife or wha'ev'r up and dumped 'im, 'cause he wrote poetry about her and his upperclassmen taunted him about it. Bloody wankers. I read some of his works and he was a bloody genius."

"Oh, well... did you know he got turned? Into a vampire, I mean," Andrew explained. She nodded and smirked.

"Yeah, poor bloke. Got turned by this mad-as-a-hatter chit name of Drusilla or summat. She died in a fire, though, in the City of Angels, mid-'03. With her granddame, Darla. Yeah, I know the story. Me watcher showed me before he died. He had an extensive knowledge on the Aurelius clan, from Master righ' down to ol' Bloody Billy." She smiled and stuffed another cookie in her mouth.

"Who was your watcher?" Andrew asked, actually enthralled by her knowledge. She couldn't be any older than sixteen, and yet she was like a mini-Giles and then some. Like an all-knowing Yoda.

"Takami Tsuyomai. Couldn't barely understan' a word he said, but these journals are real fabu. I have 'em in me bag. Thank goddess it didn't get damaged!" Syn scratched her head, then pulled a hairtie off her wrist and pulled her blond locks into a messy bun.

"Are you wiccan?" Andrew asked. Syndie gave him a 'why do you ask' look. "Because you said goddess and normally only wiccans or really spiritual people say that..."

"Not really anythin'. I know magic, yeah. All light stuff, though. The dark stuff consumes you as a whole, so I don't use it. Anywho, I'm a certified apprentice high priestess, black belt in all martial arts, expert telepath, pyrokenetic, and I'm a seer."

"Oh my gods! You're like Yoda, Jackie Chan, and Dumbledore all packed into a leather-clad superhero!" He gave her a quick hug. "How _cute_ would your hair look in pigtails! We have to make action figures of you! Oh they would sell like hotcakes!"

"Which is ironic, 'cause hotcakes, really aren't selling," a voice said from the doorway of the kitchen. Andrew turned to see Xander standing, a goofy grin on his face. He strode over to the short blond and kissed him shortly. Syndie grinned widely.

"Ooh, I bloody knew it! Summers refuses to believe that you're a couple, but I knew that as soon as I heard, 'Star Wars nerd living with another rugged male' I instantly supplied her with, 'they're gay.'" Syn grinned. "She owes me twent'y Euros for tha'. Where is she, by the by?" she asked.

"Napping in the spare room," Xander said. "She, unlike you, doesn't have the stamina of a bull hyped up on caffiene and steroids." He grinned at her.

"Hey, I don't have bull-stamina. I get fatigue just as easily as..." she thought for a moment. "Jabba the bloody Hut on a treadmill!"

"So, what were you saying about hotcakes?" Xander asked Andrew. Andrew got all excited and Syn grinned. She held out her hand and Xander's car keys flew out of the living room and soared into her hand. She turned her hand over, but the keys didn't fall. She turned it back over, the keys weren't even in her hand anymore. Reaching into the cupboard behind her, she pulled them out, and handed them to the astounded Xander.

"Oh and..." She concentrated on her hand and a spark crackled, before a small orb of flame hovered above her palm. She closed her hand and the flame went out. She stared at a point exactly between the two boys. She snickered. "Bloody hell, you guys need to shag, get them frisky images out of you."

"Hey! No mind-reading without permission," Andrew admonished. Syn just smirked and ate another cookie. After finishing, she hopped off the counter and patted Andrew on the head.

"Nice talkin' wif you, C3P0, Cap'n Hook," Syndie said. "I'm gonna nab a kip." She did the Nixon peace signs, then fell onto the couch, immediately asleep.

* * *

_Plane- Los Angeles, California to Wales, England:_

"Angel, I don't like this metal bird," Ilyria stated. Angel nodded, absently petting Spike's hair.

"Yeah, neither do I. Drinking helps," he told her. She stood unsteadily and went to the minibar, grabbing a handful of the small alcohol bottles.

"This will not be effective immediately." She unscrewed three caps and downed them all in one go. "They are bitter." Her face was struggling to contort in disgust, but her pride shut down the emotion.

"Drink until it feels good," Spike mumbled, half asleep. "We there yet, sire?" he questioned the dark vampire. Angel shook his head.

"No, childe. We won't be for a while, get some rest."

The plane continued soaring on its way to England. They were going to get in touch with some of the old clans, see if the Aurelian account was still active._**

* * *

**_

_**A/N:  
**__What'd you think. Do I need something? Am I confusing people with the OC? Whatever, she's a slayer, they're helping her. Yes, Andrew and Xander have been going out since two months after Anya died. That makes it a little over three years.  
--biLLie_


	2. Headaches and Bad News

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Angel: the Series_. I **_do_** own who you don't recognize.  
**A/N:** There's an exceptionally large count of slashy and femslashy pairs; Angel is Spike's sire.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Headaches and Bad News  
**_Cleveland, Ohio- Two Weeks Later:_

Curly brown hair fanned out around a golden-tanned face. A sighing breath woke the senior slayer. She streched and opened her chestnut eyes. Rolling over, she found that her bed partner had already woken up. She looked at the clock and saw that it was 10:34 in the morning. She smiled and got out of bed.

Walking over to her dresser, she pulled out a white wifebeater and cutoff jeans shorts. She slipped on socks and her tan boots, laced them up, and headed to the bathroom. After applying black liner, light brown shadow, and chapstick, Faith was ready to face the world. Or, at least the Slayer Academy. She picked up her diskman and, reminiscent of when she was first called to Wesley, she put on some punk rock and danced to the kitchen one floor down.

The headquarters of Slayer Academy was disguised as a preparatory school, R. S. Giles' Academy of Talented Girls. From an outsider's perspective, the building seemed like a college: large lawns in the back, dormitories and large kitchens. A cafeteria, complete with tables and benches that folded into the walls. The library was quite impressive, though it still had many books to be placed on the shelves.

"Ah, Faith. Could I have a word with you?" Giles asked from the doorway of the library as Faith passed. She turned off her headphones and put them around her neck.

"Sure, G. What's the what?" she asked. Giles held open the doorway to the library and they entered it. Sitting down at a table that was piled high with boxes of books, Faith kicked her feet onto the table.

"Uhm, could you tell me of your time with Angel in Los Angeles?" he asked her. "Behavior and knowledge-wise."

"When I went there, he was the big bad in town. He was soulless, crazy, and pissed off. He was being controlled though. And he bit me. But then Red came and put the soul back in the bod and he went all domesticate-like. He killed the Beast, though, so kudos to him on that. That all? I'm kinda craving some food." She took her feet off the table and stood.

"He's coming here," Giles said. "There was an apocalypse, and Wesley was a cas-"

"Wait, Princess Margaret died?" she asked, horrified. She fell back into the chair and put her head in her hands. Her shoulders shook, but Giles knew she wasn't crying. "What happened? Did Angel tell you? How did he die!" She glared up at the calm, but slightly subdued ex-watcher. He sat in a chair next to her.

"They were fighting a demonic cult called the Black Thorn. Angel was initiated and related information to his partners."

"Wes, Fred, Gunn, Green Jeans, and the kid," Faith stated. Giles shook his head.

"Winifred died. An ancient took over her body and killed any remnants of her from the inside. The ancient survived, though. And Lorne skipped town after the apocalypse ended. Charles Gunn didn't make it through the whole of the final fight, either, and Angel's son Connor was told to get out of town by Angel, so that he didn't die," Giles explained. Faith put her head down on the table and sighed.

"Any other news I should know before I go and stare at my bowl of cheerios?" she asked wearily. Giles shook his head.

"None other than they're coming here. Angel and Ilyria," he said.

"That the ancient that took over Fred?" With a nod from Giles, she got up and left. She thought about going down to breakfast, then noted how she wasn't hungry anymore, so she headed in the opposite direction, to the training room. She took out a mix CD and put it in the surround sound player so she could practice to a beat. She faced the human-shaped punching bag and started hitting as AFI's _Miss Murder_ came on.

_"Hey, Miss Murder, can I?  
__Hey, Miss Murder, can I  
__Make beauty stay if take my life?_

_With just a look, they shook  
__And heavens bowed before them.  
__Simply a look can break your heart.  
__The stars that pierced the sky,  
__He left them all behind.  
__We're left to wonder why,  
__He left us all behind!"_

As it ended, she stopped wailing on the body bag. Faith moved onto the crossbow shooting range as Dashboard Prophets' _Ballad for Dead Friends_ came on. She loaded the crossbow as the intro started. Then she turned to the target, turned the dial to take it out to one-hundred feet, then she snapped a bolt out of it with every beat. Thank whoever made them, for automatic crossbows.

_"How are you feeling? Do you feel okay?  
__'Cause I don't. It keeps me reeling.  
__Will I ever be the same? No I won't.  
__It's a cold day in a cold world._

_I really wished I could have saved you.  
__Then who would have saved me from myself?  
__Right now, well I could use a stiff drink  
__To kill the pain that's deep inside my bones._

_Have you been dreaming? I don't dream at all.  
__I have nightmares. Never ceased careening,  
__Have you come to kill what's left of my smile?  
__There's no vacancy in paradise._

_I really wished I could have saved you.  
__Then who would have saved me from myself?  
__Right now, well I could use a stiff drink  
__To kill the pain that's deep inside my bones._

_I really wished I could have saved you.  
__Then who would have saved me from myself?  
__I really wished I could have saved you._

_I'll never forget you.  
I'll never forget you.  
I'll never forget you.  
I'll never forget you._

_I really wished I could have saved you.  
I really wished I could have saved you.  
I really wished I could have saved you.  
I really wished I could have saved you.  
I really wished I could have saved you."_

Faith dropped the crossbow and fell to the floor, burying her head in her arms and started crying._

* * *

Plane- Rome to Cleveland:_

Five people sat in their seats on the plane, three in one row, and two in the other. Xander was asleep in the window seat, Andrew's head on his shoulder, asleep. In front of them, Buffy was sulking, upset that the Immortal had broken up with her. He had told her she would forget about him if she went to Cleveland, and then told her that they were better off without each other. Dawn and Syndie were playing a gave of go-fish in the seats next to her.

"D'you have any threes?" Syn asked. Dawn slapped one down and the blond added it to her pile of pairs. So far, she was winning by two pairs.

"Fours?" Dawn questioned. Syn shook her head.

"Go-fi--"

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, we are making our descent now. Please fasten your seatbelts," a cool feminine voice said over the intercom. Dawn packed up the cards and turned to Xander and Andrew.

"Hey," she said, poking Andrew in the nose. He rubbed his nose and opened his eyes. "We're landing, you need your seatbelt," the nineteen-year-old girl told him. Andrew nodded and buckled up, then pulled Xander's around him. The two-tone eyed man woke up and put a sleepy smile on. The plane turned and pulled onto the landing strip. There was a slight bounce as they slowed down, then the terminal was attached and the door was opened. They got out of their seats, grabbed their carry-on bags, and queued up to unboard.

"Thank you for taking Italian Air, please enjoy your stay in America!" the stewardess said as they passed. Her smile lost its luster as her eyes fell on Syndie.

"You lost somethin'," Syn said to her. She held up her hand and in it was the stew's identification card. She handed it back to the reddening woman and stepped out. "Good thin' I'm not one of them bints that nick stuff and don't return it." She walked down the terminal and found her new friends being enveloped in hugs by a red-haired woman and an older man. There was a sulky brunette with them, and she seemed only slightly older than Dawn, by maybe two years.

"Buffy! Good to see you!" the redhead said, pulling the blond into a hug. "How have you been?"

"Alright. I'm kinda tired. And really hungry. You have food at the homestead?" the senior slayer asked the wiccan.

"We have to. There's one-hundred-fifty plus girls living with us, plus the next generation of watchers, Faith, Robin, Giles, Kennedy, and I," Willow explained as they went to the baggage claim. Syndie didn't group together with them as they waited for Andrew, Xander, Buffy and Dawn's things. She already had her stuff.

"Oh, Willow, Giles, Kennedy, this is Syndie Orielle," Dawn said, including her in the conversation. Willow grinned excitedly.

"Andrew tells me you're a tele-pyro-slitch," she began. Syndie quirked an eyebrow and turned to look at the half-asleep blond man.

"Tweedle Dum also explain wha' tha' meant?" Syn queried. Willow shook her head.

"I only know that you're a pyro and telepathic. What's the 'slitch' part?" she asked Andrew.

"Slayer and a witch. She's also got some really cool Bruce Lee moves," he answered. Syndie shook her head in annoyance.

"I'm nothing like that crusty ol' has-been. He's dull as a white-washed fence. I'm more Jet Li-Yuna like," Syn argued.

"Oh, you have some Bruce in you. And Yuna is such a wimp!" Andrew differed.

"Well, Lee's better than Chuck Norris, at leas'. So props to me," she agreed. Andrew looked horrified.

"You are sooo wrong! Chuck Norris would take down Bruce Lee in a second!" Andrew crossed his arms, clearly offended.

"Wha'ev'r! And Yuna's not a wimp! She'd so kick Norris' arse in any fight! You've got a few screws loose, Boy Wonder," Syn snapped, crossing her own arms. Giles sighed in annoyance and went to take off his glasses when he remembered that he wore contacts now.

"Bloody hell, which Fate decided we needed a Spike-wannabe with Andrew's knowledge of pop culture television?" he mumbled. Willow grinned at him.

"Wishing you had your glasses to clean angrily at them, Giles?" she asked him. He nodded slightly, when he was run into by a small woman with blue-frosted brown hair.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, I wasn't looking where I was--"

"FRED!" Willow went to hug the woman, but something was clearly different about the leather-clad female.

"You... you knew her," the woman said. "Winifred. You were her friend. I remember it. You reek of magic." She looked up and Willow saw that the once warm brown eyes were now an icy blue.

"Ilyria! Ilyri-- Giles?" A blond man in a duster came out

"Spike!" The bickering of Andrew and Syndie stopped dead and they both stared at the man.

"What are you doing here!" Andrew, Buffy, Xander, Spike, Angel, Dawn, Syndie, and Willow asked at the same time. Giles seemed like the only one who knew what was going on.

"I thought you were going to take the later flight," Giles said to the brunette vampire who was holding the blond up. Spike wasn't paying attention to anyone, he was just staring at Syndie, his mouth slightly agape.

"Roslyn?" he asked, drawing everyone's attention to the young woman. She dropped to her knees and started bawling. Spike joined her a second later, wrapping his arms around her. His less-than-bleached hair only slightly brighter than hers. Angel looked on sadly.

"I told you!" Andrew announced._**

* * *

A/N:  
**_

_I don't own any of the songs that Faith was training to. Dashboard Prophets were actually on Buffy at one point in time, singing that song. 'Miss Murder' just fit in with Faith, so don't kill me.  
--biLLie_


	3. Rage and Love

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _Buffy the Vampire Slayer_ or _Angel: the Series_. I **_do_** own who you don't recognize.  
**A/N:** There's an exceptionally large count of slashy and femslashy pairs; Angel is Spike's sire.**

* * *

Chapter Three: Rage and Love  
**_Cleveland, Ohio:_

The group had moved in two separate vehicles. Giles, Willow, Buffy, Dawn, and Kennedy in Willow's new van. It was exactly like Oz's old blue one, but it was painted silver with purple and black flames on the front. Spike,Angel, Ilyria, Syndie, Andrew, and Xander in a rented silver limo. The van was silent, quite different from the rowdy limo. Questions were flying all over the place, Xander's the most prominent.

"How the **hell** are you still alive?" he yelled at Spike. "Last we saw you, you were all..."

"Pillar of hell in the firemouth. Or, pillar of fire in the he- well anywa- I _told_ you that it was him, Xander!" Andrew stated indignantly. Ilyria was holding her head in pain and shooting Andrew dirty looks.

"The small one is loud. Can I kill him?" she asked the dark vampire as Spike explained his coming back to Xander.

"Welcome to the wonderful world of Hangover, Ilyria," he said. He smoothed down her hair and she shifted forms to reveal Fred's countenance. She laid her head on the seat and tried to sleep off the hangover. When Spike was finished, he slumped in his seat and laid his head on Angel's shoulder.

"Deadboy and Fangless are a couple?" Xander asked, not really surprised. Spike gave him a look that clearly said, 'oh, and you're one to talk.' He nodded, showing that he got the message, then turned to the blond girl across from him. "So, what... err, _who_ are you? Roslyn? Syndie?" The girl sighed and sat up.

"'m The Immortal, mate. Actually, that bloke who your friend, Buffy, was datin' was _an_ immortal. I'm _The_ Immortal, the real deal, indestructible, unkillable, completely and totally--"

"Ancient," Ilyria supplied from her postition. She sat up. "The Immortal was the first being to ever live. The Immortal was the first creation, before bacteria and water, even. If she were to shift into her true form, she would explode the world. The Immortal can take the form of anyone and anything it wants."

"I've been in this form for the last two-hundred years," Syndie said. She looked at Spike and gave him a sad smile. "I was your little sister for more than two centuries, living like this. It's been the best of my life. You're my favorite, Billy. I'll always protect you from everything."

"The only thing you didn't protect me from was Drusilla. She got a hold of me and drained me dry, but Angel found me and gave me his blood," Spike told her. Syndie nodded and hung her head.

"I was sad about that, you never seeing the sun again. But you never did like the sun, and you _did_ see it. A few times, if I recall. Once with the Gem of Amara, and then a few times after that with a blanket over your head," she said in a low voice.

"So, what do we call you, Darth Immortal?" Andrew asked her. She laughed outright and did so for a few minutes. It came as a shock to everyone that she didn't have the need to breathe.

"Just call me Syn. It's a name I fancy. So, when do we get there, Cap'n Hook?" she asked him. He shrugged and looked out the window.

"It's just around the corner," he said. "Why do you call me Captain Hook? I'm kind of lacking the requirement of the _hook_ part." She pointed to his blue eye.

"One, you used to have an eye-patch; two, your eyebrows are reminiscen' of 'im," she explained. The limo stopped and they all climbed out, setting foot on Slayer Academy grounds. "D'you think Jeeves is compensatin' for summat?" Spike snickered and Angel smiled. Andrew and Xander weren't paying attention, they were staring at the impressive front of the building.

"Uh, not to be rude or anything to Mr. Giles, but I think Syn's right! I mean, the library's got to be at least half of the west wing! And the kitchens... they're feeding nearly two-hundred people, the kitchens have to be... so... big." His eyes glazed over as he mentally ran through everything he could make in the ginormous kitchens.

"Hey, nerd-o. We have trained professionals that know to keep the cutlery out of your reach. Don't want you off and shanking more of your friends, do we? Stay away from the kitchens," Kennedy sniped as they walked passed the first group. Andrew's face fell and he started tearing, remembering the incident with Jonathan. Syn snapped her fingers and a zipper-like mouth appeared on Kennedy's face.

"If I were you, I'd _zip it_," Syn told her. The mouth zipped shut as she enuciated the last two words. Kennedy looked highly affronted and stormed up to Syn. Un-zipping her mouth, she started in on a challenge.

"You got a problem, newbie?" she harped. Syn snickered.

"Yeah, your mouth is too big for your action, lil' girl," Syn told her, crossing her arms and smirking. "Plus, it's rude t' bring up past mistakes, when you've made so many of your very own." At this, her smirk fell and she got a menacing look in her eyes. Kennedy planted her hands on her hips and jutted her jaw out.

"You don't know anything about me, so back off. And you've known Andrew for a total of what, two weeks? I'm surprised he survived," Kennedy laughed meanly. Andrew now had his face buried in Xander's shoulder.

"That's enough, Superbitch," Xander snapped. Kennedy glared at him and opened her mouth to start on him, but Xander continued, running over anything she had to say. "I don't care if you're Willow's girlfriend, or not. You don't talk to people like that. One of these days somebody is going to put you in your place, and you can bet, I sure as hell will be there to see it." Kennedy curled her hands into fists and swung her arm back, only for a stray fist to hit her in the face.

"Hey, Brat, back off! He's one of the good guys. Damn, what the hell has been up your ass lately?" a familiar voice asked. Kennedy stood up from the ground where the hit had put her and stormed off, defeated. "Hey, X-man, Twerp. How's life?" Faith hugged the bigger man, then the smaller one. Then she spotted Spike and started laughing. "I knew you didn't die! What happened, man? Wait, hold your story until we're inside and sitting with something to eat." She lead them up the front walk, but halted when Angel, Spike, and Syn were held back.

"Sorry, kids. Temporary mind-lapse. Come on in," the dark senior slayer said. They stepped over the threshold and followed Faith down a hallway to the cafeteria. It only had maybe twenty people in it. Both girls and guys.

"Uh, I thought the slayin' bit was for chits," Spike said.

"It is," Faith answered.

"So, err... why're there blokes 'ere?" he asked as they sat down at a corner table. Faith smirked.

"Turns out when Red did the mojo for slayers, it mojo'd the watchers into watching. Our youngest slayer is maybe six. Our youngest watcher is ten," she said. When Spike gave her a quizzical look, she explained, "I have to know this stuff. I'm head trainer. Robin helps a lot, but now that I have the two biggest badasses, plue some super-powered witchy slayer, _and_ B, I'm thinking I can take it easy for a bit. Catch some z's."

"So, you have bulletproof glass and stuff. Mostly non-breakables?" Xander asked. "'Cause I'm not here to be Mr. Fixit again. I'm on vacation."

"Then why'd you come back?" a deep voice asked from behind him. Xander turned to see Robin sporting a shiner.

"Hey, Robs. How've you been?" Xander asked, getting up to give him a brief hug.

"Not too bad. I popped the question," he said, taking a seat next to Faith.

"What!" Andrew said outraged. Kids from a nearby table looked at him funny, then continued eating. "I was supposed to be there when you did that. You promised, Robin!" Faith laughed.

"Calm down, it was last year. We're getting married in the back yard, complete with little white dress and plenty of flowers," Faith said. Andrew looked at her expectantly. "Yes, Twerp You can be my maid of honor."

"Thank yo- What? Hey!" He stuck his tongue out at the slayer and she smiled. "So, who is?"

"I'm thinking if Dana wants it, she can," Faith said. "She's one of the older slayers, older'n me and B, like thirty-two. But she's cool. It's like having a mom, only... less mom-like and more big sis. Oh, here she comes." They all looked up as a tall woman, nearly six-feet, with a thick, waistlength red braid hanging down her back came striding over. Her eyes were light blue and her skin a freckled cream.

"Hey, Faithless, wha's goin' on?" she asked in a thick Irish accent.

"Nothin', Dana. These are my old buds, plus a new little super," she said. "Dana, this is Angel, Spike, Xander, Andrew and... sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Syn. Nice to meet you," the youngest woman said. The men greeted her and then Faith told her about Kennedy's little fit-o-rage.

"Tha' lil' gna's gonna be put in 'er place, the stupid bin'. Goin'a give it to 'er meself," Dana growled out. "She's been naugh' bu' a thorn in me arse since the day I met her. I don' see how Rose can put up wif her!"

"Uh, who's Rose?" Xander asked. Dana rolled her eyes and made doe-eyes at him.

"A po' lil' rattrap who Ken's traipsin' abou' wif," Dana said in a high-pitched little girl's voice. "She's... wha' sixteen, or sumfink?" she asked Faith. Faith nodded sadly.

"Yeah, and Red's got no idea," Faith said. Andrew, who was turning red with anger at the very thought of someone cheating on Willow, stood up angrily.

"That little harpie! I'm going to tell Willow before Kennedy can unleash Darth Rosenberg again!" He stormed away from the table and set out to find Willow. He stopped a nearby boy. "Excuse me, can you point me in the direction of Willow Rosenberg's quarters, please?"

"Miss Rosenberg? Uh, yeah, foller me, sir," the boy said with a southern accent. He lead Andrew up two flights of stairs, and then down a hallway. On an outside door, there was a plaque that said:

**Willow Rosenberg  
**_Head Witch  
__Deputy Dean_

"Oh, right. Thank you..."

"Sonny Mowe. You're mighty welcome, sir." The boy took off down the hall and disappeared around a corner. Andrew pressed a call button next to the door.

_"This is Willow,"_ the familiar voice said.

"It's Andrew. Can I come in?"

* * *

_**A/N:  
**__So, what do you think? Will Andy be able to tell Willow what Kennedy's up to? Or will he chicken out and get kidnapped by a gang of vampires? Tune in next time!  
--biLLie_


End file.
